Base-ball-game apparatus.



PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905. J. F. WOODBERRY. BASE BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I 1905.

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- J. F. WOODBERRY.

BASE BALL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEBHZ. 1905.

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UNITED STATES Parana. OFFICE.

JESSE F. W OODBERRY, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

S BASE-BALL-GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed February 7, 1905. Serial No. 244.567.

To all whom, it TH/y concern:

Be it known that I, J ESSE F. WOODBERRY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball-Game Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a base-ball-game apparatus adapted to be played indoors; and it consists of a suitable board or table-top of any desired shape on the upper side of which is arranged a device which I term the "pitcher for propelling a ball from about midway of the board to and against a springactuated knob which may be termed the striker, located at the home plate. On the central portion of the board is a diamondshaped space termed the infield, inclosed by an upwardly-projecting flange, at the four sides of which are located weighted and pivoted grooved guides representing base-lines arranged in slotted recesses of the board and pivotally connected thereto and adapted to be operated and tipped by suitable knobs and connecting Wires or strings. At the junction of said grooved guides are located suitable pockets representing, respectively, the home plate and first, second, and third bases. At the pockets of the first, second, and third bases are stationary inclined curved grooves, serving to establish connection between the respective grooved guide-bars, the whole being constructed and operated as will hereinafter he more fully shown and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the game Fig. 2 is a tbp plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. dis an enlarged cross-section on the line 44 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5in Fig. 2, showing one of the grooved guides in its normal position.

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing one of said grooved guides tilted to its operative position, and Fig. 7 is a view showing objects used in playing the game.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the ditferent parts of the drawings.

A represents the board, preferably of diamond or square contour, which may be made in whole or part of wood or other suitable material,and provided with an upwardly-projecting inclosin flan e or lip A, as shown. B i 23 represents the infield or central part of the board. At (J is a pocket representing the home plate, provided with an opening 0, as shown. D is a pocket representing the first base, provided with an opening D, and E is a similar pocket representing the second base, having openings E E, and F isa pocket representing the third base, having an opening F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Near the edges of said board A are made slotted perforations g, g, g", and g, in which are arranged grooved guides G, G, G", and G which are pivotally. connected to the under side of the board A at H, as shown. At the opposite end of each of said grooved guides they are \veigl'ited in a suitable manner, so as to normally hold such grooved guide-bars in the normal position shown in Fig. 5.

At the first base D is arranged an inclined. curve (Z for establishing a connection between the grooved guide-bars G and Gr. At the second base E is similarly arranged an inclined curve 6 for establishing a connection between the grooves of G and G", and in a similar manner is arranged at the third base F an inclined curveffor establishing a connection between the grooves G and G The end of the grooved guide G terminates at the home plate G.

B is located a ball-pitching device 1. adapted to receive a metal ball K (shown in Fig. 7) I and adapted when released to impel the ball against aspring-actuated catcher or striker M, located at the home plate 0, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The said pitching device preferably consists of a tubular stationary shell r containing a plunger 2" adaptedto be held in its normal position against the influence of a spring-actuated releasing-lever 71, which may be released by pulling of a knob i connected thereto, as shown in Figs, 1, 2, and 3, when required to expel the ball from said shell against the catcher or striker M. I wish to state that I do not confine myself to the exact construction of said pitching device, as the same may be made in any suitable or equivalent manner, or, if so desired, it may be dis pensed with and the ball pitched by snapping it against the said striker M by the fingers of the player at E without departing from the essence of my invention.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 4 I have'shown the striker or catcher comprising, preferably, head or IIO plate M, connected to a spring-pressed spindle 7,1 journaled in a perforation of the board A and provided with a knob or handle 'ml, which when pulled and released causes the ball expelled from the pitcher device I to be forced into an opposite direction.

The non weighted ends of each of the grooved guides Gr, G,Gr", and G are connected, by means of wires or othersuitable connections 0, to knobs P, P, P", and P as show n, sothat by pulling said knobs or handles the grooved guide-bars may be pivoted and tipped from the normal position (shown in Fig. 5) to the operative position. (Shown-in Fig. 6.)

At the weighted end of each pivoted guidebar is located a bridge or interrupter Q,-secured to the board A, for the purpose of preventing the ball from entering the pockets 0 D E F until the said respective grooved guidebars are tipped to the operative positions shown in Fig. 6.

For the pu rpose of preventing the ball from dropping off the end of the grooved guidebar while in its normal position, as well as preventing the ball from going under the said grooved guide-bar while in its operative position and coming from the corresponding stationaryinclined curve to the said bar, I attach to the weighted end of each such guide-bar a flexible strip or band B, connected to the guide-bar and conducted over a bar or roller connected. to the board Aand having secured to its free end a suitable counterweight r as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

In connection with the game I use a series of disks S, a series of catcher-tools T, and a series of balls K and K. (Shown in Fig. 7.)

In playing the game two, or preferably four, players may engage, each seated in front of the home plate 0 and first, second, and third bases D, E, and F, and proceed as follows: The player at E starts by placing a ball K in the cannon or pitcher device I and by pulling on and releasing the knob 11 expels the ball in a direction against the striker projection M at the same time as the player at C pulls and'releases the knob m, thereby throwing the ball across the infield portion B of the board. The players at D E F, each provided with a catcher similar to tool T, attempt to stop the progress of the ball beyond the line X X, (shownin Fig. 2,) by which the player at C loses one point, When the ball is struck, the player at 0 places a ball in the pivoted and weighted guide G and by pulling the knob P causes the guide-groove G to be tipped from the normal position (shown in Fig. 5) to the operative position, (shown in Fig. 6,) sending the ball from pocket 0, while at the same time the players at E F, failing to stop the ball with their tool T, place disks S on the board and snap across the board in attempting to get a disk into the pocket at D before the ball K reaches it. If successful, the ball or 1 runner is sent back to O, the player at C losing one point. his opponent at E again shooting the ball from I against the striker projection M, the player at C again placing the ball in the guide-groove Gr, tipping and operating as before. If the ball is successful in reaching the pocket D before disk arrives at pocket D and neither disk shot by E F enters pocket D, ball is sent from pocket D to pocket E, D, and F, contesting the arrival. If E or F place disk in pocket Dafter ballor runner from groove G arrives, the same ball is to be held at pocket D until the shootingball is again expelled from shooter I by player at E, when the ball is sent to E from D, the players at D and F contesting the arrival of the ball at E, the same conditions governing the arrival and exit of the ball at E and F as at D. At C or home plate E, F, and D contest the arrival of the ball, each successful arrival at pocket by the ball or runner counting live. One continuous run by the pockets D E F and back to C counts forty. When the player atC loses five points, either by his opponents stopping the ball sent from the shooter I and hit by the striker M, which counts one point againstC, by his opponents snapping the disk into the pocket before the ball or runner arrives, one point against C,

or by (PS failing to send hall expelled from-I.

beyond the line X X, which counts one point against C, the player at U moves to F, the player at D taking his place at C, the player at E moving to D, and the player at F mov- 1 ing to E.

The player is not supposed to snapthe disk when the play is in the inclosure or pocket at the point where he is seated. Thus, if the play is in pocket D, I) does not shoot, but leaves it to he done by E and F, if the ball which is shot from M is not caught. There will be nine disks of three different colorsviz., three of a color. Each player will have three disks of the same color, and when he shoots his disk at a pocket he must notice whether it enters or not. If it enters before the ball, it goes down upon his score of putouts as one point, while if the disk fails to enter at all it goes down upon his score of errors as one point against him.

W hat I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim is 1. A'base-ball-game apparatus comprising an inclosed board having corner-pockets, said board provided with slots, pivotal guide-bars in said slots, curved ways communicating with the slots forming a continuous raceway, spring-controlled pitching and catching devices in alinement with one another on said board and inclosed by said slots, means for retaining said bars in a normal inoperative position, and means connected to the said guidebars and arranged exteriorly of the inclosure for actuating the bar.

2. A base-ball-game apparatus including a .board having slots near its marginal edge forming an infield, said board having cornerpockets intersecting the slots, said board further provided with curved ways communicating with the slots to form a continuous raceway, a series of grooved guide-bars pivotally connected intermediate its ends in the said slots, means for retaining the bars in a normal inoperative position, means for moving said guide-bar, means cooperative with the latter means and exteriorly arranged on the board for actuating the guide-bar, and springcontrolled pitching and catching devices on said board and inclosed by said slots.

3. A base-ballgame apparatus including a board having slots, and curved ways in communication with the latter to form an infield, said board having inclined corner-pockets intersecting the slots, a series of guide-bars movably mounted Within the slots, means exterior of the board and connected to the guidebars for actuating the same, means for returning said bars to a normal inoperative position,and spring-controlled mechanism form ing pitching and catching devices and in alinement with one another on said board and inclosed by said slot.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' JESSE F. WOODBERRY.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, THEKLA ANDREN. 

